By Senior Communications Officer Stew Post
For this week’s interview, Senior Communications Officer Stew Post sat down with Juliette Vagile, ASEAN Director at the Vintage Wine Club.
The two met for a discussion on the impetus for her firm — a recent EuroCham member — to enter the Cambodian market, how she got into the world of wine and how the ASEAN region varies in terms of market demands and tastes. She even dropped a couple of recommendations for your next bottle.
Stew: Perhaps you could start with a bit of background. How long have you worked in the wine & spirit sector, how did you come to work with Vintage Wine Club and what brought you to Cambodia?
Juliette: It’s always been my thing! My family has vineyards in Cognac, then I studied wine in Bordeaux in parallel with a master’s degree in political science and finance. After that, I have worked in various major wine hubs – London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. This is where I came across The Vintage Wine Club and their team – one of the leading importers and distributors in Asia. Founded in 2014, we specialize in sourcing and distributing premium French wines and craft spirits, artisanal and family-owned, holding more than fifty exclusive contracts with esteemed producers as sole agent.
It was time for a new challenge and the company has been expanding its activity in all South-East Asia, including in Cambodia.
Stew: The Vintage Wine Club has an established presence as a distributor of quality French wines across Asia, however, you are relatively new to Cambodia. What was the reason for Vintage’s entrance into the country?
Juliette: As a Singapore-based company, it is like the gateway to the ASEAN region – in terms of logistics, partnerships, business travels and exchanges. The expansion from Singapore was natural – first Hong Kong as the leading platform for wines, then ASEAN – with currently strong partners in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos and offices in Malaysia, and soon in Cambodia.
Cambodia, beside its central geographical position in the region, has without a doubt a growing potential – a booming tourism sector with various hospitality openings attracting higher end visitors, a passionate and developing community of sommeliers and wine professionals, a local growing interest in other alcoholic beverages, a Chinese presence with an affinity for wine as well as historical ties with France.
Stew: Cambodia’s alcohol market has traditionally been dominated by beer, however, there is growing interest in wines among the public. What are some of the challenges and opportunities for your firm in the Cambodian market?
Juliette: This growing interest is without a doubt thanks to the great effort of local merchants here that have been promoting different wineries for years, and to a dynamic hospitality sector. The pandemic was a hard moment for the industry, but it is without a doubt resilient – carried by motivated professionals. The Cambodia Association of Sommeliers plays a crucial role in elevating wine standards through education and experience.
This aligns perfectly with the expanding tourism sector, marked by new high-end hotels and the upcoming Phnom Penh International Airport, attracting a sophisticated clientele and growing expatriate community. These trends present opportunities for Vintage Wine Club, given our focus on importing top-tier wines.
However, we must navigate logistical complexities. Since the pandemic, global shipping has been a mess, and we are still dealing with longer waits and pricier shipments – which hits all imports, wine included.
Wine, especially the top ones and natural wines, is delicate, so it needs to be chilled and handled carefully all the way from the winery to your glass, which means higher shipping costs.
We also have to deal with different administrative requirements for alcohol imports, including customs, licenses, and taxes, for each single country – becoming sometimes quite complicated. Luckily, we’ve got a great team helping us with all that.
Stew: How does your team tailor strategies for the different clienteles and demographics in the countries where you operate? What’s are key aspects of your strategy in Cambodia?
Juliette: We are lucky to have a very international team, as well as long-term partners in each country that we visit regularly, which gives us prime insights and updates, about the local trends and preferences. Indeed, palates and tastes vary from one country to another, even from one region to another. Local food has a big influence on what beverages, including wines, people prefer to pair with their meals.
While Singapore and Hong Kong are mature and historical markets for wine, Southeast Asia is relatively younger in its growing interest and knowledge and that is where our strategy lies.
Sure, you can sell a bottle online, but it doesn’t have the same impact. Our main goal is being on the ground, sharing bottles and stories, giving insights through dinners, tastings, and masterclasses. We even bring winemakers over to meet the guests, the wine lovers, and the pros, so they can share their passion firsthand aiming to cultivate deeper appreciation, understanding and lasting connection.
Stew: Your company imports dozens of different varieties from the most famous wine-producing regions in France as well as offerings from the United States. Is there a bottle on your shelf that you are particularly fond of right now? What would you recommend?
Juliette: That’s a tough one! There are so many good choices. I’d say the best wine is the one everyone’s enjoying at that moment. Maybe a versatile Bordeaux like L’Aurage from the Mitjavile family – it’d go great with a Lok Lak. Or a refreshing white like Domaine de Trévallon from Provence after a hot day in Phnom Penh. And why wait for a special occasion to pop a bottle of Champagne, especially if it’s from the Egly-Ouriet family, or a nice bottle of Cognac Frapin to end a dinner!
